In recent years, what has been sought in the present industrial field are light-sensitive silver halide photographic materials that are feasible for rapid processing, can achieve a high image quality, and also is stable in its quality. More specifically, light-sensitive silver halide photographic materials are continuously processed using an automatic processing machine, installed in all photofinishing laboratories. However, as an improvement in service to customers, it is desired to finish processing and to return the products to customers on the day the development orders were received, and, nowadays, it is further desired even to return the products within a few hours after the receipt of an order, whereby there is an increasing necessity for rapid processing.
To achieve rapid processing in answer to such commercial circumstances and needs, approaches have been made from two directions, i.e., the light-sensitive material and the processing solution. In respect of the processing solution, it has been frequently attempted to optimize the temperature and the pH, and also to add additives such development accelerators. Only taking these means for improving processing solutions, however, can not achieve sufficient rapidness, and may often be accompanied with the deterioration of performance as exemplified by an increase in fog. On the other hand, the shape, size and composition of grains of a light-sensitive silver halide emulsion used in the light-sensitive material are known to greatly affect the development speed and so forth. In particular, it is known that the halogen composition may greatly affect the same, and that a very remarkably high development speed can be shown when a silver chloride-rich silver halide is used. However, in the light-sensitive materials that employ the silver chloride-rich silver halide which is best in view of rapid processing, the following are questioned:
(1) Fog tends to be generated. PA1 (2) Performance variations, in particular, an increase in fog and variations in sensitivity, may greatly occur because of the storage of light-sensitive materials having been not processed for development (hereinafter "storage of raw stocks").
In respect of the above (1), the generation of fog beyond tolerance results in fatal defects for light-sensitive materials. Thus, in order to prevent it, compounds known as antifoggants or stabilizers have been added, but use of these compounds may bring about desensitization and soft gradation, and may also often give bad influences such that the storage stability is lowered.
In addition, what is important among the performances required for light-sensitive materials is the quality stability. The performances of light-sensitive materials must be always stable. Variations thereof may cause the problems as noted in the above (2), necessarily resulting in a variation in the image quality finally obtained. An attempt to correct the variation on each occasion may make very complicate the handling of light-sensitive materials. In particular, an increase in fog beyond tolerance results in a fatal lowering of quality.
Light-sensitive materials, once prepared, are stored in themselves until they are used, and the performances may sometimes vary depending on the conditions under which the light-sensitive materials are stored. In particular, it is very difficult to manage the state of being stored after the light-sensitive materials have been forwarded. Thus, an improvement on the quality stability under such storage is an important subject, and hence several techniques are available in relation thereto. For example, as methods of improving storage stability of raw stocks, techniques are disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication Open to Public Inspection (hereinafter referred to as "Japanese Patent O.P.I. Publication") No. 43320/1973, No. 176637/1983, No. 225143/1985, No. 225145/1985, No. 232545/1985, No. 112142/1986, No. 91652/1986 and No. 203447/1986. All of these, however, are not enough to improve the storage stability of raw stocks without giving influences on other performances.
Hence, it has been sought to newly provide a light-sensitive material promising suppressed fog, having superior raw stock storage stability, and also suited to rapid processing.